


Pathfinders

by JauntyHako



Series: Post Season 5 AU [6]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Feelings are not discussed, In which Todd is a Disney Princess, M/M, Pre-Slash, Several people suffer from the after-effects of alcohol poisoning, a bet is made, and John Sheppard learns why Todd has a weird fixation on his name
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-06
Updated: 2016-07-06
Packaged: 2018-07-22 00:13:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7410790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JauntyHako/pseuds/JauntyHako
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Atlantis celebrates New Year's, leading to Todd being confronted with some of the weirder of humanity's idiosyncrasies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pathfinders

"I see you yet live, John Sheppard."

John groaned as he walked past Todd who unfairly didn't battle the hangover of the centuries. He could have sworn Todd talked louder than usual, too. The wraith followed him down the corridor to the infirmary, his coat scraping on the floor.

"Can you … can you stop walking so loud, please?" John asked and pressed the palm of his hand against his temple. He should have just asked Carson for some pain killers the night before, rather than force himself out of bed to get them now. He hadn't even had time to take a shower yet. If his shift didn't begin in less than four hours, he would have just curled up in bed and not dealt with Todd making fun of him.

The wraith hadn't joined them for yesterday's New Years party, although technically New Year wasn't until today. Perhaps he was a stickler for tradition and intended to crash today's party. John would give every jumper in the bay to see Todd drunk off his ass just once, but he'd be busy working. Woolsey had given a skeleton crew the day off yesterday to celebrate, so today during the actual party most of Atlantis could come together without having to worry about work. John had volunteered for the first group, never having been much for big parties. He, Rodney and about twenty others had spent the night drinking and eating although the latter probably not as much as they should have.

They arrived at the infirmary at the end of a sizable line. Most of them were groaning and holding their heads.

"Ah, Colonel. I've been expecting you. I assume you have a headache. And _why_ is Todd walking like a wee princess?"

John turned around just in time to see Todd let go of his coat, letting it fall to the floor again. Right, he had asked him to walk quieter. He shot him a grateful smile which Todd responded to via a tilt of his head. Carson nudged him with the pain killers and gently threw him out of the infirmary to tend to the rest of his hungover patients before Rodney's arrival, who would likely be convinced that he was dying.

John swallowed the pills dry and debated whether to shower or get food first.

"Did you know of the side effects of alcohol poisoning?" Todd asked and yes, he was definitely louder than usual. John squinted against the ceiling lights up at Todd who looked as innocent as ever. For someone with actual yellow eyes he could pull off the puppy eyes something great.

"Yeah. Not the first time."

"Then why did you choose to ingest it? Were there no other alternatives?"

"No we had some coke. Mixed it with the rum actually."

"Then why?"

It became clear Todd wouldn't give up so soon. Food it was then.

He explained voluntary alcohol poisoning over eggs and bacon.

"We just do it a lot. Being drunk is kind of pleasant, it's a chance to relax, do things you wouldn't normally do. Mostly I think you just do it because everyone else is."  
"It's a social ritual."

"Yeah, something like that. When there's cause to celebrate, people come together for drinks. Don't you guys have something like that? I don't know, some type of mushroom you like to smoke?"

Todd laid his head to the side, trying to figure out the mystery that was John Sheppard.  
"Wraith have no special relationship with mushrooms of any kind."

John nodded, waved his hand to indicate he was chewing, then said: "Yeah, I know that. But you gotta have something. Stuff you do just for the hell of it. Because it's fun."

The expression in Todd's face changed from confused amusement to wistfulness. He looked the same as he did whenever John read from that Ancient diary, written in a time before their two species went to war.

"If my kind ever had such traditions, they were lost." he said, tracing the pattern of scratches on the table. Maybe John was still a little bit drunk, he couldn't explain otherwise why he didn't take a giant step back from that conversation.

"The wraith had to make a lot of hard decisions, didn't they?"

Todd nodded, though if it was his non-verbal thing or if he was genuinely at a loss for words he couldn't tell. They sat together in silence, John finishing his breakfast and Todd watching both him and the scenery outside. Snow fell heavily, although the city accommodated the new climate fairly well. This planet had just reached its summer but the weather remained crisp and cool all year round. It occurred to John that Todd likely didn't feel much at home here, the wraith being ectothermic and all. Every inch of snow was another reminder that he was far from home and other wraith and now John reminded him once again that even that home was only a shell of what it had been once.

"You know." John said, feeling oddly guilty despite telling himself nothing of this was his fault. "If you'd like, you could always go with Teyla to the party tonight. I realise it's not really a wraith thing, but hey, you never know. Maybe we can give you some ideas you can bring back home when this war is over."

John thought he saw a smile on Todd's face, but it was gone before he could make sure.

"Perhaps I will do that. Thank you, John Sheppard."

Todd left, to do whatever he did to occupy himself when John wasn't there to keep him company and he noticed once again he'd forgotten to ask him about this thing he had with his name.

 

John and Rodney used the relative quiet to catch up on some of the tasks they'd put off for months. Things not critical to the mission but that had to be done nonetheless. Such as recalibrating the city's sensors responsible for detecting malfunctions. It required someone in the control tower directing another person to all the reference points the city had and adjust their sensitivity manually. The someone in the control tower was, by virtue of winning a game of rock-paper-scissors, Rodney, while John was tasked to hunt down the reference points. It was two in the afternoon when they'd begun and by the third (of 24 total) point John gave up hope of getting any of his paperwork done today. At least he had some music to keep him occupied, humming along to Johnny Cash as he hiked to the mess hall, trying to get the spots in the more heavily populated areas done first so people could later enjoy themselves in peace.

He met Teyla on the way and exchanged a few words.

"My people celebrate the new year in much the same way. We even use objects similar to your fireworks to create artificial mist. Many of us believe the wraith will not attack us in detrimental weather." she said and paused, deep in thought. "I shall remember to ask Todd about this. Perhaps there is some truth to it. In any case, I did not mean to keep you from your work."

 

Just when he started moving again, Rodney's voice came on through the radio, asking what took him so long.

"Just stopped to have a chat with Teyla, that's all." John said.

"Well, stop it. I have a bet running with Zelenka that says I can finish this before twelve o' clock."

" _You_ can finish this?"

"Alright, we. Tell you what, you hurry and we'll share the reward."

"What's the stakes?"

"Oh, nothing major. Just the entire collection of Battlestar Galactica."

John broke into a run.

 

By nine o'clock they had gotten nine reference points and Rodney was beginning to panic.

"Hurry. I promised Zelenka the chess set Jeannie sent me for christmas and she'll kill me if she finds out I gave it away."

"I'm already going as fast as I can!"

He removed the wall cover by the tenth point and set to work. Calibrating each one was a matter of seconds. The only reason this took so long was that out of all two dozen points, only three lay close to transporters. He finished, pushing the covering back in place and set off towards the next point, running smack into Todd.

He stumbled backwards, caught himself and sped past the wraith.

"Sorry, can't talk right now! Got a bet to win."

It shouldn't have surprised him to find Todd catching up with him easily, running with long strides and seemingly effortless.

"How can I assist?" he asked and John was about to wave him off when he reconsidered. He hadn't watched Battlestar Galactica in years. And if they lost, he'd be getting an earful from Jeannie about letting Rodney bet the chess set.

"We need to recalibrate the city's sensors. There are reference points all over the city, we need to adjust their sensitivity. Rodney can tell you where they are."

Todd nodded and, after receiving the coordinates from Rodney, separated from John, moving down the hall like an edgy ghost.

 

They completed the task at just ten minutes to midnight, both Todd and John standing by the last point, catching their breath while Rodney went off to rub his victory in Radek's face, probably foregoing Todd's involvement. For once John didn't mind cheating a little.

"Thanks, buddy." John said and patted Todd's back.

"It was my pleasure." Todd said, who didn't get that many chances to stretch his legs. The only people who sparred with him were John and Teyla. If both were busy he was cooped up in his lab, trading barbs with Rodney. Intellectually engaging but he always was considerably more restless if he hadn't gotten a chance to get out in a few days.

They walked slowly back towards the city while John recounted the plot of Battlestar Galactica. He doubted Todd would enjoy the series. Too much faulty science. He'd probably indulge him anyway and, if the mood took him, maybe even keep from making too many derogatory remarks.

"Hey, come on. Let's make a little detour." John said just before they left the piers. He turned a corner and moved up the stairs of one of the towers, Todd close on his heel. He never even questioned the purpose of John's decision and he didn't know if it was trust or disinterest.

But when they reached the tower's observation deck, snuggly warm while outside the wind howled, even Todd was impressed.

They fanned out into the room, both taking a moment to enjoy the view by themselves before gravitating towards each other.

Originally John meant to show Teyla this place first and suggest she bring Kanaan here some time, to rekindle that romantic spark between them. Some blankets, a bottle of wine, maybe some cheese on a stick and a place like this made anything possible. He'd just be glad to see her happier again, after worrying herself sick that she and Kanaan were too different from each other to form a meaningful relationship.

"This city does your ancestors proud, John Sheppard." Todd said, startling John, who for a moment forgot he wasn't alone.

"Well, they did their best. Didn't help them much in the end."

Todd made a noise of agreement.

"Indeed. But maybe it all came to pass as it should."

"What do you mean?"

Todd shrugged and hummed, acting casual.

"If the Lanteans had never abandoned the city it would not have been yours to find. We would never have met." He turned suddenly and bridged the distance between them until they stood chest to chest. Fireworks illuminated Todd's face, submersing it in red, orange and purple, silent through the city's thick walls. "I would consider my life poorer if you had never had any part in it, John Sheppard."

There the moment was again, Todd searching for something in John and John trying desperately not to run like merry hell. This was intimate, close in a way he'd never been with anyone, not even Nancy. He opened his mouth, wondered what the hell to say. It was deja vu, that incident a few weeks ago all over, when Todd confessed to him that he cared about the Atlantis crew and, by extension, him. He didn't even know what Todd wanted from him. With anyone else he would have thought this was about attraction leading to romance, but this was Todd and he was different in so many ways and he didn't even know if wraith did that sort of thing with each other. The safer assumption was that it was a Hive thing, something to do with Todd calling John his brother. Whatever it was, John wasn't sure he wanted it, but he knew he couldn't stand any more of that awkward silence and he had to _do_ something, but already Todd closed up again, another opportunity passed by.

"What's with the name?" he blurted out, so quickly Todd took a step back in surprise.

"I beg your pardon?"

"It's just, you call me by my name a lot. More than other people do. Is it a wraith thing or, or … what's with that?"

It was the best he could do, thinking on his feet in the one situation he shouldn't be trusted with spontaneity. Todd tilted his head, quietly contemplating his answer. Or thinking about if he should answer at all. He did like to keep a few secrets to himself.   
"We have the same name." he said at last and out of all the ttheories John had come up with, this was not one of them.

"What are you talking about? Your name is T- … Your name's not Todd. Sorry. I forget."

A small smile told John he just might not have screwed this up entirely. Todd moved in again, just at the edge of his admittedly small personal bubble, close enough to touch if he wanted.

"Our names are difficult to translate into your language. They are impressions and memories, based on a wraith's life and personality. I am known as one who guides his people. One who walks ahead a lonely road to pave a way for others to follow."

"Like a shepherd." John said and Todd nodded.

"The similarities between our names were not lost on my brethren. It was my queen, my first queen, who called you Guide, like she did me."  
"Guide." John echoed, wondering how they could have known each other for almost three years and he only now learn his real name. Why he'd never bothered to ask.

"This is a gift, John Sheppard." Todd, Guide said. "Our names are not secrets, but we are reluctant to give them to people incapable of hearing their true meaning in the hive mind. You I should have given it to long ago, but wraith so rarely share the same name that it holds a certain significance among my people when they do. I was not sure what you would do with the information."

He couldn't blame him. John himself had no idea what to do with the information. This was big, or felt like it, like getting to know each other all over again. Like being transported back into the Genii cells and listen to the old hoarse voice of a person he didn't yet know to be a wraith say 'I heard them call you Sheppard.' and realise it was his name as much as his motivational speeches that led to the wraith gaining hope again.

"I'll, uh, won't tell anyone, if that's what you want." John said lamely, feeling like he came short against low expectations. But Todd was more patient with him than John was with himself.

"I would appreciate that. I have gotten used to 'Todd', you may continue to use it."

"I will."

And then it became awkward again, on both sides which was somewhat reassuring. At least John wasn't the only one who didn't know how to end a heavy conversation. They did by each making up an excuse of really having to be somewhere else and as much as it could have gone better, it could have gone worse as well.

 

That wasn't nothing and with Todd not nothing wasn't bad.

 

**Author's Note:**

> One part I really like from the book canon is that to wraith John and Todd really do have the same name. There's a lot of parallels between the two, both being technically only second in command in their respective hierarchy but really making all the important decisions. Both want to protect their people and neither is afraid of playing dirty to get what they want. Their relationship could have turned really interesting if the series had continued, but that's what fanfiction is for.


End file.
